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Curiosity Enlightened the Cat

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stonesEach Monday, Tiffany posts a message that provides positive energy and tips for eating more mindfully. The purpose of the weekly message is to reinforce the ideas from the talks and classes that are a part of the Como Water Membership, and to further support those living the veg-centric lifestyle. To receive our Mindfulness Mondays posts, Become A Member today.

 

Curiosity Enlightened the Cat

This past weekend I went on a crazy history binge. I am not sure what the exact impetus was for this weekend’s binge, but in between naps and soccer, I learned about Lenin, Stalin, Robespierre, the French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, Mussolini, Thatcher, Putin, the KGB, Trotsky, Marx … and Gandhi and Mother Teresa, just because I was feeling a bit down after all of the heavy stuff! After watching these documentaries, I was astonished,  appalled, downtrodden, disgusted, grateful, and amazed–all at the same time. I also couldn’t believe how ignorant I had been to these huge, huge influences on who we are today.

You see, in high school, I learned the same history over and over and over again–revolutionary war, Christopher Columbus, blah, blah, blah. In college, history wasn’t much more informative, and it definitely didn’t include much by way of recent history (or ancient history, for that matter).

Yet, after 9-11, stunned, confused, and without context for the events at hand, I embarked on a journey to educate myself about history. I started with two books: Lies My Teacher Told Me and A People’s History of the United States. I also became hooked on historical memoirs, as I figured there’s no better way to learn about the past than by hearing people’s viewpoints from the horse’s mouth.

In delving into my historical smorgasbord from this past weekend, I was able to identify patterns about humanity and themes of suffering and triumph that have heightened my sense of compassion, global compassion, and have also made me very grateful for all that I have right now–safety, support, health, stability, sustenance, and the like.

And it made me further realize the power of knowledge. ‘Curiosity didn’t kill the cat,’ I thought to myself, as I closed my computer for the night. Curiosity enlightens the cat. Curiosity makes the cat informed, compassionate, understanding, and most importantly, equipped with the knowledge and insight to prevent past atrocities from resurfacing in the present and in the future.

I’m kind of disappointed that I didn’t embrace history sooner, that this zeal for learning about the past is only just now taking hold, because what I learned in one short weekend has been nothing short of fascinating. It was like watching a really well-written movie, except all of the events were real. In fact, at times, they seemed surreal. The events that had transpired seemed almost impossible. But they weren’t impossible. They happened. And I supposed it’s better that I’m a curious cat now, than never at all…

Have a great day folks and see ya soon with our next Como Water video!

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Tiffany M. Griffin is the woman behind Como Water, Washington DC’s premiere veg-centric cuisine consulting company. Through cooking classes, demonstrations, catering, and consultations, Como Water gives people the opportunity to learn how to prepare veg-centric cuisine that boasts maximum flavor, with minimal effort. Tiffany is quickly becoming a go-to expert on the future of veg-centric cuisine, and is a regular contributor to Como Water, the blog, as well as to vegetarian and vegan sites across the Internet. For over a decade, this self-taught, entrepreneurial expert has developed a set of tried and true techniques for making simple, delicious, and sometimes decadent veg-centric dishes. Featured on the Steve Harvey Show and other leading media outlets, Tiffany was born and raised in Springfield, MA. She then earned Bachelors degrees in Psychology and Communications from Boston College and a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Michigan. She now resides in Washington DC, where she has worked in the US Senate and at a federal agency on issues around health, food, nutrition, and international food aid/development, and of course, as the owner of Como Water. Tiffany gets culinary inspiration from the food she grew up eating, and from her travels throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Western Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa. She is dedicated to sharing her wealth of knowledge on veg-centric cuisine with others and to help others live by her mantra—love life, live long, and eat veg-centric cuisine!

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